Picture this scenario: you ve booked an Alaskan cruise with us, CruiseExperts.com and you re aboard

Picture this scenario: you ve booked an Alaskan cruise with us, CruiseExperts.com and you re aboard Celebrity Cruises luxurious Solstice . All of the sudden you look up at the sky and see this unbelievable burst of greenish-yellow, blue and even bright red in the atmosphere. job photography travel This gorgeous light show is what is known as the Aurora Borealis or more commonly referred to as the Northern Lights.
Few people ever have the opportunity to view the Aurora Borealis, but you can when you take an Alaska cruise during certain times of the year. The sky needs to be dark in order to see the lights and during the peak of the summer it can stay light up to 20 hours a day.
That is why, if you re booking an Alaska cruise with us to see the Northern Lights, we advise you to do so in May or September. In early May the sun sets between 10:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. and in September anywhere between 6:30 p.m. and 9 p.m. This time is also when the weather is mild and the skies are clearest.
However, don t expect the Northern Lights to appear the minute there s no more sunlight. You re more likely to see these illuminations approximately one-and-a-half hours after sunset. More specifically auroral activity is likely to take place between 12:30 a.m. and 4:30 a.m. in September and May. If you can stay awake, head out onto the deck of your luxury Alaska cruise liner at 2:30 a.m., as this could very well be the best time to see the Aurora Borealis.
Of course, job photography travel this is simply meant to be as a guide when booking your trip to Alaska. Whether you reserve your vacation for September, May or July, you re guaranteed job photography travel to have a wonderful time. If you have any questions, contact us at 888-804-CRUISE or visit our website, www.CruiseExperts.com.
Our team of cruise consultants and support staff, based in Central California, counts nearly a century of combined talent, knowledge, and enthusiasm in the travel industry. We're not just another internet upstart; our seasoned team has gained the trust and business of thousands of satisfied cruise and land vacation customers job photography travel from all over the country since 1995. We ARE the original Cruise Experts.
In order to view the Northern job photography travel Lights, two conditions must be met. It has to be dark and it has to be clear, with no clouds. If it is dark, you can see them from many cities in Alaska, however the cities along the inside passage are a bit south of the main part of the state and therefore viewing opportunities are more limited. During job photography travel the summer cruising season, it is daylight 20-24 hours per day. Therefore you cannot see them. In September, there may be enough darkness in the wee hours (2:00-4:00 AM) to see the Lights, if the sky isn t cloudy. So if you want the best chance to see the Northern lights while cruising the inside passage, it is best to book cruises in September. You might also want to plan a trip inland to Denali National Park in September. Denali is a little farther north, so you may find better viewing of the Lights. Martha Arnold, one of our cruise experts, saw them on her September 9th cruise to Alaska.
Unfortunately, there are no guarantees when it comes to Mother Nature. If you want to see the Northern Lights, aka the Aurora Borealis, it has to be dark at night. So, a cruise in the middle of the summer when it never gets completely dark would be the wrong choice. While early May or late September are your best bets, the longer your visit to Alaska and the further north you travel the more your chance increases of seeing this amazing phenomenon. An early or late season Cruisetour would give you extra time in the region and also have you traveling in areas where the Lights are often seen. The May 3, 2014 sailing job photography travel of the Westerdam only travels as far north as Juneau which makes seeing the Northern Lights a possibility but by no means a certainty. Much better options for seeing the Aurora Borealis would be to sail on either the Coral Princess departing Whittier, Alaska on September 13th, the Island Princess also departing from Whittier on 9/17, or Holland America’s Statendam departing Seward on 9/14. With any of these choices plan a few extra days in Anchorage at the beginning of your trip to increase your chances or better yet take a land tour before any of these cruises. As I’m sure you can see, a visit to Alaska can get complicated, but we can help. Please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 888-804-2784.
I would love to view the northern lights in September 2014. I know this can be unpredictable but which Alaskan cruise job photography travel lines am I more likely to see this? I know the more north you visit the more likely you are to see this but are there Alaskan cruises that visit areas solely in hope of viewing this?
Hi Shelley! Unfortunately, there are no guarantees when it comes to Mother Nature. If you want to see the Northern Lights, aka the Aurora Borealis, it has to be dark at night. So, a cruise job photography travel in the middle of the summer when it never gets completely dark would be the wrong choice. While early May or late September are your best bets, the longer your visit to Alaska and the further north you travel the more your chance increases of seeing this amazing job photography travel phenomenon. A great option is the last Alaska cruisetour in September on a Holland America job photography travel Denali Land+Sea Journeys. job photography travel The D1, D3, D4, D5 and D7 itineraries end in Fairbanks, so it would be easy to add on an extended vacation to increase your chances of seeing job photography travel the Northern Lights. We can help you make all your arrangements, so please don’t hesitate to give us a call at 888-804-2784.